Sasha Liliana Jackson & The Secrets of Hogwarts

Chapter Four: A Train Ride To Hogwarts

Sasha had woke up at six o'clock in the morning and was both too nervous and excited about school. She got up and had gotten dressed in her witch's robes. She checked her Hogwarts list a few weeks to make sure she had everything she needed, saw that Hamish was safely shut in his cage, and had gotten ready for the train ride with some help from her family. Two hours later, Sasha's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the car and had set off.
They reached King's Cross half past ten. Her dad placed Sasha's trunk onto the cart and they both wheeled it onto the station together. They followed a group of people with the similar supplies that Sasha has. Some of them were kids around her age or older.
Sasha and her family moved to follow them, and moved towards the barrier. Sasha closed her eyes, ready for an impact that didn't come. Sasha opened her eyes and saw a scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Sasha looked behind her and saw a wrought iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three Quarters on it. She had done it. Sasha smiled at her parents, who both returned the proud smiles. Her dad ruffled Sasha's hair affectionately and her mum had done a braid on her front left hair bang and tied her hair with a blue hair tier.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out the windows to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.
"Hey Molly," Mum called out to a red-haired mother with two redheaded sons.
"Anya!" Molly and her sons had came over towards them. The two women both embraced each other, clearly showing a sisterly bond between each other. "It's been so long since I had seen you. How are you?"
"I'm doing well." Mum gestured for Sasha to come over and placed a hand on Sasha's shoulders. "You remember Sasha, do you?"
"But of course I do!" gasped Molly. She gently cupped Sasha's face with a bright smile and sparkling hazel eyes. "My goodness child, you had grown since I last saw you."
Sasha soon had hazy memory of seeing this woman a few times when she was younger. She was babysat by Molly whenever Sasha's parents were both busy.
"I'm glad to see you too, Aunt Molly," Sasha said, a little quietly and shyly.
"Wow Sasha," marveled Aunt Molly. "You sound exactly like your mother when she was around your age. You remember Bill and Charlie?"
Sasha turned to look at the two redhead brothers. Bill was both tall and lean, with his red hair tied back into a gray bandanna. While Charlie was younger and covered with more freckles than Bill, but his red hair was tied into a ponytail just as well. The two bothers were both dressed in their Gryffindor robes.
"Hi again Swift Foot," greeted Charlie with a playful grin.
Sasha cracked a small smile. She remembers spending time with these two brothers: Bill had entertained her and Charlie with curse-breaking stories and Charlie made up dragon-related games for them to play together. Sasha's nickname was from an amusing experience, which included a very irritated rooster, a protective mother pig, and an almost explosion from a backfiring potion.
"Hey," Sasha whispered before she looked away, feeling confused and awkward about the moment.
Bill gently teased Charlie for making a girl feel awkward. Charlie blushed fiercely before he gave Bill a playful glare at his amused snickering. He rolled his eyes at them and gave Sasha a playful nudge on the shoulder, while making Sasha rolled her eyes at him. Sasha turned to look at Bill curiously, he seemed to be both nervous and excited as she was.
"Bill? Are you okay?" Bill gave Sasha a knowing look before he said, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... It won't be long till I take my NEWTs I'm just nervous about the test, that's all."
"Will NEWTs help you become a Curse-Breaker one day?" asked Sasha, she also wanted to become a great Curse-Breaker one day and work up to her family's expectations.
"Pretty much." As they walked together, the six of them headed down the platform to find a spot where they could say their last goodbyes. Sasha hugged her parents, she almost tearing up for her separation from her family.
"This is it I guess," said Dad. "We promise we'll sent an owl in a few days, see how you're settling in, and we'll write all the time."
"We'll miss you so much," said her mother.
"Me too. I'd better get on the train now, will I see you at Christmas?" asked Sasha.
"Yes. At Christmas. Bye for now Sasha." After one last group hug, Sasha pulled her trunk onto the train, and waved goodbye.
Sasha pressed on until she found an empty compartment near the end of the train. After managing to get her trunk safely inside the compartment, she settled down to read a book and placed Hamish next to her for some company. She was surprised to see a familiar dark-haired wizard resting in a black blanket next to the window. Sasha looked up to see that his trunk's tag had no names on it. But she made no further comment as she continued reading and occasionally petting Hamish's feathers. Sasha was reading a book titled "Wolfwalkers: The Tale of Luna." It had a blue book cover with a howling wolf silhouetted against a full white moon standing on the top of the hill and there was about seventeen chapters.
She looked up when she heard somebody else entering the train cart and placed their trunk in the compartment. The person was surprisingly Rowan and she looked annoyed, which startled Sasha. Sasha figured Rowan wasn't the type of person who could get annoyed easily.
"Ummm... Hi Rowan." Rowan looked overjoyed to see Sasha, she smiled at Sasha.
"It's great to see you again Sasha," said Rowan, she looked at the compartment. "Can I sit here?"
"Sure, go ahead." Sasha looked down at her book, but she looked up in surprise when she felt another person sit next to her. Sasha turned to see Rowan sitting next to her, Sasha thought Rowan was going to sit somewhere else and not next her. Sasha felt uncomfortable and confused. Why was this girl sitting next to her? Wouldn't she like sitting with other readers?
"Rowan, why aren't you sitting with the other students?" Sasha asked curiously.
"Because Merula Snyde is there," said Rowan bitterly. "She wants to bully every first year student into thinking she's the most powerful witch of Hogwarts."
"Is she a eighth year or something?" Sasha felt herself becoming tense with fear and annoyance. She had dealt with many bullies back at her hometown, it took a lot of smart words and hiding to deal with them.
"No, she's a first year like us." Sasha put her book away and looked at Rowan in confusion and annoyance. Why was Merula bullying others if she was a first-year as well as herself and Rowan?
"Why? Isn't Merula a newbie like the rest of us?" asked Sasha. "One can't be powerful if they keep bullying others into thinking they are powerful when they're truly aren't."
Rowan looked surprised, but she smiled at Sasha and Sasha felt herself blushing as she returned the smile. Sasha sensed that they are becoming friends.

During the rest of the four hour train ride, the two girls had both fell asleep together. Sasha rested her chin on top of Rowan's head and Rowan had rested her head on Sasha's left shoulder. The two girls both cuddled up together like a pair of sisters, Rowan's dark hair was a contrast to Sasha's light hair. But unnoticed by them, Professor Snape had woke up and saw the two girls resting together like a pair of sisters. Professor Snape felt himself becoming a little tearful at the sight and it had brought a fresh heartache to him. The sight of the two girls reminded him of his past relationship with his late best friend. Professor Snape noticed that the two girls were both shivering slightly, he placed his blanket on the two girls before he left.

As Sasha and Rowan both woke up, they were both surprised to see that the sleeping professor was gone and his blanket was placed on them. They both straightened both their hair and clothes. Sasha peered out of the window and marveled the night sky. She could see the mountains and forests under the twilight sky. The train seemed to be slowing down.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Sasha's stomach lurched with nerves, but Rowan looked excited and it calmed Sasha's nerves. Sasha allowed somebody else to take her owl for her. The train slowed right down and came to a complete stop. People pushed their way towards the door and out on a tiny, dark platform. Sasha felt herself shivering in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over their heads.
A giant man stood there and was holding a lantern over their heads. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but they could make out his eyes, glinting like black stars under all the hair.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" said the giant man with a smile. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid. C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side there. Nobody spoke much. Sasha and Rowan both held hands and kept exchanging confused and nervous/excited looks.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Ooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little canoes sitting in the water by the shore. Sasha and Rowan were followed into their boat by a a spiky-haired girl named Dora Tonks (though, she prefers to be called Tonks) and blonde-haired girl named Penny Haywood.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who's in a canoe himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
The fleet of canoes moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, starting up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. Sasha heard a loud splash and a bit of yelling from a messy, brown-haired girl from behind them, making a few of the first years to laugh.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all lowered their heads and the canoes carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
Sasha felt Rowan slipped her hand into her own and gave a gentle squeeze. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here?" All of the students nodded. They watched as Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.